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Legendary music composer: C. RAMCHANDRA
Before starting his career as a music director, C. Ramchandra had a brief stint as an actor, with bit parts in Sohrab Modi films such as Saeed-e-Havas (1936) and Atma Tarang (1937) and the lead role in Y.V. Rao’s Naganand (1935). His started out as a music composer in Tamil cinema, with films such as Jayakkodi (1939) and Vanamohini (1941). His breakthrough as a composer was with Sukhi Jeevan (1942), which established his long collaboration with Bhagwan Dada.
Influenced by Western music and with his innovative compositions, C. Ramchandra was known for using instruments such as saxophone, guitar and harmonica in Indian film music. Popular for his playful irreverence in songs like “C-A-T Cat, cat maane billi”, especially notable was his use of unconventional devices in his songs, such as whistling in “Aana Meri Jaan Sunday Ke Sunday”, scat singing in “Ina Mina Dika”.
Interestingly, while he was popularly known as C. Ramchandra, he was credited on screen under other names such as Annasaheb, Ram Chitalkar, Shyamoo and R.N. Chitalkar. His birth name was Narhar Chitalkar Ramchandra. 2018 marks his centenary year. thank
